Location: Jeffersonton, Virginia, USA
Setting: Farm
Wedding season: Fall
How long did the couple plan the event: 1 year
Wedding theme/style: Garden-inspired, floral, whimsical.
Eric and Krisztina first connected on a dating app when they were both living in Houston, Texas. On their first date, Eric shared that he was moving to Washington, D.C., soon, but they decided to make the most of their time together. The next five months were filled with adventures, and after Eric moved, they got creative, having cooking dates via video chat and streaming shows together. When the world shut down due to the pandemic, Eric returned to Houston to “wait it out” with Krisztina. Later that year, they moved back to D.C. together.
Krisztina and Eric traveled to Barcelona with their bikes in tow. On the first night, after a stroll through the Gothic Quarter and a candle-lit dinner of tapas and Spanish wine, Eric proposed on the terrace of their hotel room, and Krisztina said yes!
As they began to tour venues for their celebration, they felt an immediate connection to Wollam Gardens, a flower farm and relaxed outdoor venue in the Shenandoah region near D.C., where they loved to hike with their dog and explore the breweries and wineries.
As the former head of design at the venue, florist Hillary Gottemoeller of Ferdinand Loves Flowers entered the picture with an intimate knowledge of the Gardens and was able to suggest unique design ideas. The wedding was entirely inspired by a floral theme, incorporating flowers not only in the ceremony and reception decor but also in the attire of the couple and the wedding party and creative guest activities.
With a flower farm as a backdrop for the festivities, a vision was inspired by English garden weddings and Renaissance festivals. The flower girl and maid of honor wore flower crowns, and Krisztina’s romantic gown paired perfectly with a chapel-length veil, loosely curled locks, and natural make-up by Best Face Artists.
Photographer Audra Jones captured a sweet first look at the farm’s hydrangea allée as the coordinating team from Madi Leigh Events ushered guests to the top of a hill overlooking the venue’s handcrafted pavilion.
Eric and Krisztina tied the knot under a towering oak tree. The ceremony backdrop was a curtain of flowers and fairy lights raining from a floating arch crafted of twisty laurel and willow branches. The couple’s dog, Bodie, joined the ceremony, sporting a floral collar.
The day was warm and overcast, and a brief rain fell as guests gathered under the pavilion after the ceremony. Eric and Krisztina had planned a “DIY bud vase” activity for their guests during cocktail hour, providing a unique opportunity for guests to play with flowers harvested from the farm. Creative guests unleashed their inner florists while sipping drinks and snacking on passed hors d’oeuvres from Pampa’s Fox Catering. Their finished vases were arranged on the long farm tables, intermingled with the bridesmaids’ bouquets and flickering candles.
The floral designs were painted in a late-summer palette of warm, rosy tones. Hillary, the florist, also knew which flowers would make the vision come to life. “The designs included delicate dahlias, antique hydrangeas, muted burgundy sunflowers, all grown by Wollam Gardens, and, one of Hillary’s favorites, purple hyacinth bean vines dangling from the bouquets and overhead installations,” told the head of Ferdinand Loves Flowers.
Guests danced the night away beneath a suspended cloud of flowers in the pavilion. The couple’s pets, Bodie the dog and Jiji, the cat were honored with figurines on the cake and custom wedding favors. As the evening drew to a close, Krisztina’s Hungarian relatives played the accordion, adding a festive touch to the final dances.
FLORAL Ferdinand Loves Flowers | PLANNER Madi Leigh Events | VENUE Wollam Gardens | PHOTOGRAPHER Audra Jones | MUAH Best Face Artists | CATERING Pampa’s Fox Catering | RENTAL Signature Event Rentals and Sammy’s Rental | DJ Black Tie Entertainment
